The Reading Connection

The invisible hurdle you have to conquer

Approximately 20 percent of the population is dyslexic—but you probably won't know these people when you see them.

More than most writers, I know firsthand how people comprehend and remember what they read—and how the process can break down. I'm motivated because both my sons are dyslexic.

What you may not know is that your dyslexic audience is large—approximately 20 percent of the population—and often includes extremely bright people who make a real difference in the world but still struggle with written language. However, you probably won't know these people when you see them, just as I didn't immediately notice this in my own sons.

How did we figure it out?

We thought our older son was reading well at first; he had no trouble with phonics or spelling and sounded fine when he read to us. For several years, his sharp mind masked his relative weakness in comprehending and remembering what he read; when school became difficult around the end of third grade, everyone was puzzled.

Two years later, thanks to a school counselor who is herself dyslexic, we realized what the problem could be and had him tested. To learn how to help him, I began intense study on how both children and adults read. A year later, I passed the state teaching exam to add Reading certification to my Journalism, English, Business, and Science teaching certificates.

During my continuing studies, I've learned that many dyslexic adults discover their dyslexia only when their child is diagnosed (example: Charles Schwab, pioneer of the discount brokerage business). Dyslexics work harder than the rest of us to remember what they read, although they're almost always highly gifted in other areas—often in math, engineering, sports, music, art, or creative problem solving. Think of Albert Einstein and Leonardo da Vinci, whose work and struggles all fit the dyslexic pattern. Therefore, you'll also find them in top business minds—including your clients, if you market your services to other businesses. (See Some top minds... below, including Richard Branson, whose Virgin Galactic launched him and five other crewmembers into suborbital space on July 11, 2021—the first fully crewed flight of his VSS Unity space plane.)

Does dyslexia mean you can’t reach 20 percent of your audience?

No, you can definitely reach them—but it makes it harder. To reach this intelligent and capable 20 percent of the population, you need someone who is always aware of the countless ways a message can break down. No, I'm not dyslexic, and I’ve been a voracious reader from the beginning, which means I can study and understand my client's material quickly. However, I didn't understand at first how my child, who is so obviously gifted in math and science, could read something and yet be unable to answer a simple question about a few paragraphs! "He just read it 30 seconds ago—how can he not remember it?" Now, I DO know what happens—and ways to communicate despite it.

Knowing all this is key to communicating clearly—and most writers aren’t aware of this breakdown because almost all of them were good readers growing up. Since dyslexics often struggle to put their ideas into words, they usually don't become writers. And if you happen to be one of these gifted people, and you have great ideas but struggle to put them into words, let me help.

I do it all the time with a son who loves poring over my fully illustrated book about Dr. Stephen Hawking's theories in physics . . . and who constantly invents devices out of everything he can get his hands on. Is this kid's room a mess? Goodness, YES! But is he also developing ideas that could change the world someday? Definitely.

His dyslexic younger brother is almost a mirror image, with strong reading comprehension yet difficulty with spelling and remembering sequences—abilities affecting math and areas like process steps, order of months, accidentally leaving out words when writing, and memorizing multiplication facts. Yet both my sons score in the gifted IQ range. And if you want to know anything about world history, just ask my younger son, who later earned all his college social studies credits in his high school Advanced Placement® (AP) history exams.

Reading and writing are intimately connected.

I later developed a class for struggling high school writers at the large Texas school district where I taught Freshman English in 2012-15. One thing they all had in common was difficulty with reading comprehension. These kids could verbally explain what they thought, often with real analytic ability and even eloquence at times, but putting it on paper (or into a keyboard) was almost impossible for them. By halfway through the year, these kids from all backgrounds, who literally couldn’t write a paragraph on the first day of school, were blowing me away with their analysis of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work. And they were measurably building their reading ability as they learned how to accurately write what they wanted to communicate to others.

Don’t forget ADHD and focus.

By the way, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) also means part of your audience won't stay with you long if you don't immediately make your message interesting and easy to grasp. You'll find these innovative people in the gifted and successful categories, too. They usually notice key things others don’t, making them extremely valuable when engaged.

Good articles on dyslexia and the talents it often brings with it:

• The Abilities of Those with Reading Disabilities: Focusing on the Talents of People with Dyslexia

• How Cisco’s Former CEO Turned a “Secret Disability” Into His Greatest Strength

• 17 Business Titans Who Overcame Dyslexia

• Entrepreneurs Who Learn and Think Differently

• Are Dyslexia and Wealth Linked? Study Finds Individuals with Dyslexia More Likely to Be Millionaires